What Can Moms Do To Alleviate Their Baby’s Reflux?

Mothers play a crucial role in managing their baby’s acid reflux. Here are some specific actions moms can take to help alleviate their baby’s symptoms:

1. Breastfeeding techniques: If you’re breastfeeding, consider adjusting your positioning and latch to ensure your baby is swallowing less air during feedings, which can exacerbate reflux.
2. Diet modifications: Pay attention to your diet and consider eliminating or reducing foods that may trigger reflux in your baby. Common culprits include caffeine, spicy foods, dairy, soy and acidic foods.
3. Smaller, more frequent feedings: Opt for smaller, more frequent feedings rather than large meals to prevent your baby’s stomach from becoming too full, which can increase reflux episodes.
4. Burping: Make sure to burp your baby frequently during and after feedings to help release any trapped air in their stomach, which can contribute to reflux.
5. Hold upright after feedings: Keep your baby upright for at least 30 minutes after feeding to allow gravity to help keep stomach contents down.
6. Consider your breastfeeding positions: Experiment with different breastfeeding positions to find one that helps minimize reflux. For example, nursing while lying back slightly may reduce pressure on your baby’s abdomen.
7. Paced feeding: If you’re bottle-feeding, practice paced feeding techniques to control the flow of milk and prevent your baby from overfeeding, which can exacerbate reflux.
8. Monitor your baby’s cues: If you are breastfeeding, pay attention to your baby’s cues and try to identify sources in your diet that may indicate when reflux is more likely to occur. This can help you anticipate and manage symptoms more effectively by eliminating the specific foods that trigger reflux.

Remember that every baby is different, so it may take some trial and error to find the strategies that work best for your little one. Always consult with your pediatrician before making any significant changes to your baby’s feeding routine or diet.

Try chiropractic care! Chiropractic care is often used as an alternative to reflux medications. Chiropractic care can help babies latch, reduce reflux and provide better sleep for newborns by balancing the cervical spine, jaw muscles and reducing the “fight or flight” reflux.

If you live in Charlotte and are looking for a pediatric chiropractor nearby, check out Active Life Chiropractic in Ballantyne. Our conservative treatments aim to eliminate the root cause of reflux and prevent future flare ups.